When three of Cagayan de Oro City’s most creative minds got together to brainstorm the creation of a truly Kagay-anon Christmas Festival, it was perhaps inevitable it would lead them to the Paskorela.
Parade of Paskorela contestants along Plaza Divisoria
A contraction of the words Pasko (Christmas) and Motorela (Cagayan de Oro’s iconic poor man’s taxi), this year’s first salvo exceeded expectations and has left many Kagay-anons eager to see more next year as one of its cherished Christmas traditions.
“I got the idea from my Christmases spent in Australia a few years back,” said Robert de la Serna, who together with Mozart Pastrano and Eileen San Juan, conceptualized Paskorela as a “Dress Up Your Motorela” Christmas festival. “This would have been much grander had we gotten to it earlier with an eclectic mix of bands playing, street dancers, and the rela floats in between but it’s a good start. I’m happy with this small beginning. Next year it is!”
“I consolidated our ideas and came up with a Dress-Up-Your-Motorela festival with the ‘Christmas is for Children’ theme,” Pastrano said.
Members of the City Tourism Council take a pose for posterity with crowd favorite SANTA RELA of Dario Pelegrino & Family
Cagayan de Oro’s iconic poor man’s taxi was invented by the late Rafael D. Floirendo, Sr. in 1964 and issued patent no. 2243 by the Phil. Patent Office.
A contraction of the words Motorized and Caretela (horse drawn carriage), the Motorela has since evolved into a Cagayan de Oro icon and has also been adopted in nearby cities and towns of Northern Mindanao. (from a story by Ann Gorra from City of Gold: People Who Made Their Home and History in Cagayan de Oro-available from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/City-
The initial Paskorela was participated by 12 motorelas with entry no. 15 of Elma Abao winning the grand prize of PhP 40,000 with its indigenous materials of corn, coconut and meticulously designed Belen on its roof. The second prize of P25,000 went to entry no. 12 of Santos T. Mejos sporting a similar them and belen topside replete with flashing lights and a sound system blaring Christmas carols while the third prize of PhP 15,000 was garnered by entry no. 1 of Clandestine Ponferrada with its Christmas wreaths theme carrying the signature greenery of Agusan artisan Roldan Yacapin.
Criteria for judging included Creativity (30% -concept and relevance to the theme), Implementation (20% -structural integrity of the entry’s design), Production Elements (20%- music, lights, and other technical wizardry) and Christmas Spirit (30% -how the entry captures the spirit of Christmas).
Under the guidelines drawn up by the Paskorela committee, participating motorelas had to be roadworthy, operating commercially as a public utility and registered with the city government. Participants could be motorela drivers or operators, as well as sponsoring individuals or entities.
Members of the City Tourism Council, Paskorela Judges pose with Ms. CDO 2014 Bea Alvarez and City Administrator Roy Raagas with the grand prize winner of Paskorela 2014
The Board of Judges was composed of prize-winning Kagay-anon film maker Joe Bacus, Engr. Jefferson Valiente of Xavier University, Judee Dizon Chavez of Smart, Dottie Pabayo of the City Tourism Council and Robert de la Serna, project manager of the XU-CRS FARM Collaboration Project, as chairman.
This wasn’t the first time the motorela figured in the local culture and the arts.
Last year, a group of local artists who dubbed themselves “Siete Pesos” (after the minimum fare then for the motorela), brought their “Project 2243: Moving Forward” art exhibit to Singapore’s 4th Bienale 2013, an exhibit showcasing contemporary art from Singapore, Southeast Asia and Asia. (the number 2243 references the patent number for the motorela registered in 1964 with the Phil. Patent Office by the late Faeling.)
Ms CDO 2014 Bea Alvarez graces the Paskorela prototype
The seven artists included Oscar A. Floirendo, son of the late motorela inventor Rafael Floirendo, Jr., Nicholas Aca Jr., Errol P. Balcos, Michael E. Bacol, Michelle Hollanes Lua, Jericho Valjusto Vamenta and Ma. Rosalie Zerrudo. The exhibit ran for October 26, 2013 to February 16, 2014 at Our Museum, Taman Jurong, Singapore.
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Paskorela:
A tribute to Rafael D. Floirendo, Sr., inventor of the motorela
During the awarding rites held at the Kiosko Kagawasan immediately after the 20 December parade, the Cagayan de Oro City Council recognized the contribution of Motorela Inventor Rafael “Faeling” D. Floirendo, Sr. to the culture and heritage of the city.
Paskorela 2014
“In behalf of the Floirendo family, our sincere thanks to the City Tourism Council, Our Mayor and the City Administration for giving due recognition to our father’s innovation,” said Oscar A. Floirendo, son of the late Faeling, who received the plaque of recognition in behalf of the Floirendo family with Rafael F. Diawatan, son of his sister Melissa. “The annual Paskorela event is a welcome development to further stress the need of the city administration to officially recognize the motorela as our very own local cultural heritage icon.”
Faeling Floirendo with a motorela (from City of Gold by Ann Gorra)
Every man should) plant a tree, have a child, and write a book. These all live on after us, insuring a measure of immortality. – attributed to the Talmud and Jose Martí, Cuban revolutionary and poet
The prototye motorela and the patent granted to it by the Phil Patent Office (from City of Gold by Ann Gorra)
“In the case of my Father he did not write a book but numerous articles have been written about him. He, however, fathered a lot of children, 10 of us and most of all, he created the motorela that thousands of Filipinos mainly in Mindanao benefitted from,” said Inan Floirendo, eldest son of Faeling. “In that regard he is immortal. For as long as one motorela is plying the streets he will always be remembered.”
Carding-Tabora, Remy-Cruz, Dionisio-Cañete, Pepito-Alvarez, and-Faeling Florendo at thePlaza-Lunch-circa-1965 (photo courtesy of Monching Ocampo Cruz)
“Paskorela as a yearly event will not only honor my Father, and immortalize him, but will make Cagayan de Oro truly unique with a yearly celebration that is truly Kagay-anon,” he added. “Truly homegrown. Nothing like it in the world.”
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